For: January 8, 2026
>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed mixed yesterday. It comes as new data showed private employers only added 41-thousand jobs in December. The Dow Jones estimated the private sector would add around 48-thousand jobs. While the number of jobs added fell below projections, according to ADP, the gains were coupled with a four-point-four percent year-over-year pay increase for employees. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 466 points to 48-996. The S&P 500 fell 23 points to 69-20. The Nasdaq gained 37 points to 23-584.
>>Energy Secretary Upbeat About Role Of Venezuelan Oil For U.S.
(Miami, FL) -- The U.S.-Venezuela situation is raising the profile of energy policy. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the Trump Administration's plans for Venezuelan oil are right for America because he says the oil is sitting in storage and needs to move again. Wright made the remarks at the Goldman Sachs Energy, Clean Tech, and Utilities Conference in Miami. President Trump ordered a military blockade of all sanctioned tankers prior to last weekend's U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
>>Warner Bros. Discovery Rejects Paramount Hostile Takeover
(Los Angeles, CA) -- Warner Brothers Discovery is rejecting a hostile takeover bid from Paramount Skydance. Warner had already agreed to sell its streaming and studio business to Netflix for 72-billion dollars. Paramount has been trying to buy Warner's entire media empire, including its pay TV networks. On Wednesday, the board of Warner Brothers Discovery once again unanimously recommended that its shareholders reject the offer, which they claim is "inferior" to the Netflix offer.
>>Apple Card To Be Issued By JPMorgan Chase
(Cupertino, CA) -- Apple has a new banking partner. The tech company announced Wednesday that JPMorgan Chase is replacing Goldman Sachs, and will be the new issuer of the Apple Card. Apple says the transition could take up to two years. The Apple Card will still use the Mastercard network for payments. Apple says consumers will not notice any difference.
>>Second Wave To File Claim Against Amazon Is Open
(Undated) -- The window for eligible customers to file a claim against Amazon is open. Amazon settled a 2023 antitrust lawsuit with the FTC for two-point-five-billion dollars in September, alleging the company coerced millions of customers into enrolling in Prime subscriptions. The FTC says the agreements were made egregiously difficult to cancel. Amazon has denied the wrongdoing but settled the lawsuit anyways. Customers have 180 days to file their claims and are eligible for a maximum of 51 dollars.
